


Pack is like Fruitcakes (They don't make sense, sometimes you hate 'em, but its not Christmas without them)

by Onlymystory



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/F, F/M, Future Fic, M/M, Multi, Pack Feels, but pretty much all of them change, initial relationships follow canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-27
Updated: 2014-12-27
Packaged: 2018-03-01 13:32:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2774825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onlymystory/pseuds/Onlymystory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes a while for Derek and Stiles to find their way to each other and even more for the pack to figure out how to be a family, but the magic of Christmas is enough to solve both of those problems and bring a few miracles along the way.</p><p>For mitochondria-michael on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pack is like Fruitcakes (They don't make sense, sometimes you hate 'em, but its not Christmas without them)

**Author's Note:**

> My secret santa only prompted pack feels and (possible) alive Hale family. I was kind of wanting to write a Christmas fic specifically and I wanted to try challenging myself to write within current canon. Or at least, starting from post-S4. Of course, when you have a Lydia and you actually let her be Lydia and use her powers instead of leaving her to scream and that’s it, people don’t stay dead. So pack feels are alive and abundant.  
> Because I chose to start immediately post S4 (no idea if the dates work, idc much), there is a tiny bit of Stiles/Malia in the first bit. For those who don’t like them, its all of a few sentences and the rest will be pre/actual Sterek. For those who do and so don’t want Malia to just be a stepping stone, I like Malia too, and she gets a good little story too. Hopefully my secret santa likes it.  
> Um, and lastly, its more expository through the first half and dialogue heavy the second. I wanted to establish certain relationships and developments, but not all in one Christmas, so you get exposition until I reach the Christmas I want to write.

Christmas with the McCall pack is a funny thing. The first one happens only weeks after they lock Peter away for good, after Kate is killed, and Chris Argent disappears with the Calaveras. To be quite honest, no one really planned for the holiday anyway. It sort of sneaks up on them. One minute they’re fighting berserkers and trying to keep up with an ever-changing deadpool, the next carolers are scaring the shit out of them and there’s pine and mint scented things everywhere.

Its Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa McCall who make this Christmas memorable. Melissa digs out the Christmas decorations from her attic and its sort of a disaster but its green and red and bright and John convinces several of the townspeople who worry about him to help show him how to cook a passable Christmas dinner. Two ladies and one of his deputies actually refuse to let John do much of the cooking, just bringing dishes over to Melissa’s, which is really what makes it passable.

They hang up simple stockings with everyone’s name written on them and herd the shaky McCall pack over to the house on Christmas Eve.

There’s not really any of them who go willingly, at least not until Melissa uses her terrifying “I’m the mother and I said so” voice, but they sit around the table and eat their dinner. Stiles spends a lot of it glaring at Liam, because as usual, Stiles has irrational jealousy towards new friends in Scott’s life, and because Malia tends to take Stiles’ side in all things, she snarls menacingly every time Liam reaches for a dish at the same time as Stiles.

Lydia sits stiffly throughout, only talking to Parrish, and Derek twitches awkwardly, like he doesn’t know why he’s here with all these people. Kira manages alright, but she can still feel the tension, and not even the conversation led by Melissa, John, Natalie Martin, and the Yukimuras ever truly eases it.

Still, they all agree to stay overnight. John makes hot cocoa and distributes whipped cream, marshmallows, and peppermint sticks as requested. He smiles a little when both Derek and Stiles crush 3 candy canes into their mugs, then use another to stir, suck off the cocoa, then repeat constantly until drinking when the candy cane has melted away. Once everyone’s in bed--not all the parents loved the idea of couples in the same rooms, but the fighting that started up at alternative ideas made them decide a Christmas compromise was okay--Natalie sits in the hall and reads “Twas The Night Before Christmas” to everyone.

The gifts the next day are all pretty much the same. Everyone gets a scarf, hat, and gloves set from Natalie, while John gives them all shirts that say “Beacon Hills Pack”. He also states that he’ll be teaching self-defense classes to each of them. The Yukimuras offer a copy of their family beastiary and inform the kids that along with the self-defense classes, that they’ll be teaching anchoring and meditation exercises, as its clearly an ongoing issue. Melissa’s present is weekly pack dinners at the house, which doesn’t seem like a gift to everyone but is at least free food.

No one in the pack really remembered each other outside of the couples. Parrish and Lydia are still figuring out what they are, but Scott gives Kira a pair of earrings made to look like copper foxes. They glint like flames in the light.

Stiles’ gift to Malia is a cookbook on how to prepare venison and she promptly throws herself on his lap and whispers a thank you in his ear. Stiles blushes heartily at the gift he’s promised in return and John rolls his eyes, muttering something about making sure he’s on night shifts next week and Stiles blushes an even deeper red.

Its not perfect, but they’re together, and on Christmas day at least no one fights and they all sort of figure that’s something.

~

The next Christmas is vastly different. The year’s changes start in March, when Lydia declares during a pack dinner that she’s not going to sit around and let screaming be all she’s good for. If she could raise Peter Hale from the dead, she damn well can do a lot more. No one’s exactly sure what she means, but they’re all a bit wary, especially as Lydia spends a lot of time talking with Scott, with Scott looking increasingly nervous and hopeful.

Lydia and Parrish break up amicably that month, still fast friends, though Parrish begins to be friends with Derek and Stiles as well. Its sort of expected that Malia will always show up with Stiles in tow, but they don’t smell quite as entwined as they used to be. Liam’s dad moved him out of town shortly after the holiday break, insisting this wasn’t a safe environment. No one argued, but Scott talked with Satomi and got her to accept Liam into their pack, as they were more nomadic and could travel to keep an eye on him.

In May, they’re playing sardines in the woods, a game where one person hides and the rest try to find them. If you find the hider, you stay in the spot with them until there’s only one person left looking. Kira hides first and Malia finds her almost immediately inside a hollow tree. You’re supposed to stay quiet, but the air is charged, quite literally, to the point that whenever Malia moves the slightest bit in Kira’s direction, the young kitsune sends sparks dancing across the forest floor. This is what leads the rest of them to the hiding spot, and lead Stiles and Scott to exchange knowing looks.

They talk to their respective girlfriends later. Stiles tells Malia he doesn’t mind if she has feelings for Kira, that the two of them haven’t been doing anything more physical than literally sleeping together, and so its pretty obvious that they’re just friends now. Malia argues a little, until Stiles points out that they needed each other in certain ways for a while, but now they don’t, so she should be free to go after who she wants, even if thats not him.

He’s honestly relieved to see that the spark he thought he saw between Kira and Malia ages ago is still there, because Stiles’ thoughts haven’t focused on Malia in a while, and he’s been feeling guilty about it.

Scott just insists that when you have feelings like that for someone, you don’t stay with the safe option, and Kira laughs as she kisses Scott’s cheek and says she’d hardly call him safe and to take his own advice.

The shakeup doesn’t change too many of the pack dynamics, though Stiles finds he gravitates towards Derek’s loft when he has free time.

In November, everything changes as Lydia harnesses the power of the sidhe, the full moon, and with a true alpha at her side, calls Allison, Erica, Boyd, and Laura back from the dead.

To call it an awkward family Christmas six weeks later is an understatement. Allison slips back into the pack the easiest, since she knew everyone, even if she’d only briefly met Malia. Neither Scott nor Lydia stray far from Allison’s side, a development Stiles has talked to Derek about at length. Erica and Boyd tiptoe at the outside, unfamiliar with half these people and untrusting of most of the rest. Even a seemingly innocuous activity like decorating Christmas cookies had the pair jumping at every bang of a pan. 

Laura has it the worst, since she knew nothing since she was killed by a strange werewolf in the preserve. She hovers next to Derek,  suspicious of everything the pack does. One moment she’ll be impressed at the pack: a kitsune, banshee, true alpha, and a spark in one is practically unheard of. The next she’s furious that a Hale is no longer alpha in Beacon Hills.

The one (and only) time she implies any sort of judgment towards Derek for this occurrence, hinting that it is his fault, the pack shows why they are truly a pack. Derek cowers a little, his eyes filled with tears, because this is his sister and he’s still trying to accept that the fire wasn’t his fault, so when Laura verbally attacks him, there’s a moment where he assumes she’s right. Scott and Malia both growl at her, while Kira crackles with energy and even Parrish’s eyes glow. Stiles is in Laura’s face in an instant, yelling back at her and it’s all chaos for several minutes. Lydia saves the day from dissolving into a brawl, swooping in and dragging Laura out of the room, looking none too happy with the she-wolf, but knowing the separation is important.

Later, Stiles will maintain that the fight resulted in one good thing that came out of that second, only slightly less disastrous Christmas. He and Derek sit on the couch, with Stiles running his fingers through Derek’s hair and insisting that Laura doesn’t know what she’s talking about, that Derek had his pack taken from him in some cases and he gave it up to save them in others and that makes him honorable and good and Stiles is so fiercely protective about it that it only takes a little while for Derek to calm down.

“Stiles,” Derek says, interrupting the impassioned rant.

“What Derek? She can’t say those things. Laura doesn’t know you like I do. She doesn’t understand. You’re better…” insists Stiles, his eyes bright and cheeks flushed.

Derek decides cliches are there for a reason and cuts off Stiles’ rant by kissing him.

“What was that for?” asks Stiles, when Derek pulls away.

“Because you make me better,” answers Derek. “Because I wanted to.”

Stiles stares at him for a moment. “Oh well in that case,” he says and kisses Derek back.

“Please stop making out on my mom’s couch,” begs Scott as he returns into the room.

“Please stop making out in front of your father,” says John Stilinski, from the table where he, Natalie, and Mrs. Yukimura are playing Clue.

Its possible Stiles wasn’t aware of his father’s presence until that moment.

“I think I saw mistletoe on the porch,” says Stiles and that’s all it takes to get Derek off the couch and following him out of the room.

So its a good Christmas for them, even if the tension remains with Laura, and in a lesser degree with Erica and Boyd for the rest of the holiday.

~

Their third pack Christmas is sort of last minute and haphazard. A problem with elves--they are not so Legolas like--and a demon Santa who preys on children has the pack fighting battles well into Christmas eve.

They’re a pack by this point, solid and friendly, with all the couples properly sorted. Kira and Malia went to college in Oregon, where Kira could major in graphic design and Malia found a job with the forest service. Turns out being a feral coyote means you understand wildlife better than most.

Lydia, Stiles, and Derek were at Berkeley. Lydia decided it was worth staying one of the bigger fish, and being accessible for her pack, so she gave up her Ivy League plans. UCLA had the better undergraduate program, but Berkeley’s math department wasn’t far behind and Lydia quickly ingratiated herself with her professors anyway. Derek chose to finish his MBA, to make use of the money that he primarily controlled. (Laura and Cora, having been declared dead, couldn’t have their names on most of their inheritance. Derek didn’t keep anything from them and shared willingly, but he wanted to learn as much as he could about making the best use of it). For Stiles, the appeal was less in the university itself, and more in the supernatural knowledge it provided.

He and Derek are happy in their relationship and they share a 3 bedroom apartment with Lydia. One bedroom is just for studying, though Lydia’s is empty too a fair amount of the time, whenever she drives home to Beacon Hills for a weekend with Scott and Allison. Allison is in training at the police academy and Scott takes community college classes in veterinary technician training.

Laura was already a cop in NYC, so Sheriff Stilinski brings her onto the force and partners her with Parrish. Laura’s happily ace and Parrish is happily single, but they form a fast friendship over the year, one that causes them to make plans to find an apartment together in the new year. Parrish wants more space and to be closer to the pack, while Laura’s never been quite comfortable in Derek’s loft. She’s fully pack now, but its not her space, and as a former alpha, she still has this need to carve out her own territory, even if its just a room that’s hers and hers alone.

The funny thing, muses Stiles as he showers off the leftover elf blood, is that they were all excited to come home for Christmas this year. They were going to go shopping and do all the traditions that had been skipped in the past. Everyone was getting along, and even Erica and Boyd, both of whom had gotten jobs in town and taken the longest to be ready to rejoin the pack, were excited to be together again.

So of course they had to deal with demon Santa and killer elves. Because that’s their lives.

Stiles crawls into bed with Derek once he’s changed into clean clothes. Exhaustion claims the entire pack quickly and with the fight going until early in the morning, its Christmas afternoon before they get up.

Melissa cooks a great feast anyway and they all pledge to make sure Christmas is better next year.

~

“You’re excited right?” asks Stiles as he and Derek drive the last hour back from college. The jeep is full of presents and probably more clothes than Stiles needs for the two week break, but he couldn’t narrow it down enough.

“Mmm hmm,” mutters Derek noncommittally, his gaze focused on the book he’s been reading. How he can read in a car without getting motion sickness baffles Stiles, but after the last year and a half of driving back and forth, he’s realized carsick and Derek are two mutually exclusive concepts.

“Derek!”

Derek makes a deliberate show of marking his place in the book and setting it in his lap. “Yes, Stiles, I’m happy to be on break and headed home for the holidays. As someone who is only a semester away from graduating, the rest will be nice. But I don’t know why you’re making it such a big deal.”

“Um, hello, its our first Christmas!”

“Its our third Christmas as a couple.”

“No as a pack.”

Derek gives him a confused look. “Ooookay, but its our fourth pack Christmas.”

Stiles huffs in frustration. “But this is the first one where everyone’s here and alive and there’s no psycho elves running around. We can have a real Christmas.”

Now Derek gets it. “Yeah, I’m excited. These next couple weeks have been a long time coming.”

“What are you most excited about?”

“Erica’s tamales.”

Stiles moans in appreciation. “Oh god yes. And did Lydia tell you that Allison decided to pull out the Argent Holiday Cookbook? She’s baking this year. She said it was time.”

Derek side-eyes Stiles. “Why do I get the feeling you gave that cookbook all capital letters?”

“Because it deserves it. Argent baked goods are a thing of beauty.”

Derek rolls his eyes at that ridiculousness. Even if he does secretly agree. Whenever Allison and Scott come to visit--times that always result in Derek and Stiles being sexiled--Allison brings some sort of goodie as a preemptive apology. “I just want to know what Cora’s surprise is,” he admits.

“Isaac probably converted her to wearing scarves,” snarks Stiles.

When Chris went off with the Calaveras, Isaac stayed behind in France until he turned 18 and got the life insurance money from his dad’s death. He’d long since sold the house and the gravedigging business. Then he started traveling the world. When he reached Argentina and ran into Cora again, they both decided to create a pseudo-pack of their own. A few months ago, they’d reached out and expressed interest in coming back to Beacon Hills. The knowledge that others were alive again and that the town was fairly peaceful made it more appealing. Both Scott and Derek had jumped to agree, though Stiles thought the idea of Cora meeting her cousin Malia and inevitably becoming best friends was a terrifying prospect. Its also the first time Cora will be seeing Laura since the fire, so everyone fairly nervous and excited.

“Do you think your dad will finally ask Melissa out this year?” asks Derek.

Stiles shrugs. “One can only hope.”  
“Isn’t that why you packed a box of nothing but mistletoe?”

“Fake mistletoe. The real stuff blocks my magic and would make all you wolves sick. But yes.”

Derek snorts, thinking that Scott and Stiles’ plans, while never subtle, have reached a whole new level of awkward. The season is sure to be entertained though, and he makes plans to get Stiles under the mistletoe as often as he can anyway.

~

They’re a week into Christmas break, with Isaac and Cora expected to arrive home in a couple more days, and everyone is at the McCall house baking cookies. Well, to be more precise, Allison, Boyd, and Jordan are baking. Lydia is organizing decorating stations in the dining room, Kira and Derek are cheering on their respective significant others who are in an intense game of Connect Four, and Laura and Erica are sneaking bites of dough and frosting whenever possible.

Scott’s running the perimeter of their territory--Beacon Hills may be peaceful but that doesn’t mean they’re lazy about it--and the plan is to have all the sugar cookies and gingerbread men cooled and ready to decorate when he gets back.

“Suck it!” yells Malia from the living room as she beats Stiles at their winner takes all round.

“She’s going to gloat for a week,” complains Laura half-heartedly as she squirts frosting in her mouth.

Lydia raps her hand with a spoon and steals the bag back.

“Stiles would gloat for two,” points out Erica.

The sound of the door opening interrupts and Allison sets down her spatula and moves to greet Scott at the same time Lydia moves towards the hall as well.

“Oh my god,” comes Allison’s voice from the hallway.

Lydia just starts laughing and fumbling for her phone, turning on the video camera. “I can’t wait to see this.”

Stiles and Derek exchange glances, as that doesn’t sound like the girls greeting their boyfriend. They follow Kira out of the living room to see what happened to Scott, with the rest of the pack clearly just as curious and coming around the kitchen entry to see for themselves.

Standing in the entryway are Danny and Jackson, both dressed in matching Christmas sweaters, with stacks of presents in their hands.

“Danny!” squeals Laura, causing everyone to stare at her. “I used to babysit him,” she offers.

Danny peers around his pile of presents. “Sorry to sound less than enthused, but aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

“Oh please,” protests Laura. “Dead pack members are so pre-Lydia. I thought you were friends, didn’t you know she’s amazing?”

“Amazing yes…”

“Just not raise the dead amazing,” finishes Jackson.

Stiles takes a couple steps forward before stopping awkwardly. “So you’re here because…”

Jackson shrugs as best he can while still holding onto the packages in his hands. “It seemed like it was time to come home. And Lydia’s mom emailed and said we should come for Christmas so here we are.”

“So are you two an actual romantic we or just like we as in best friends like always?” questions Allison.

Jackson blushes and turns a radiant smile towards Danny. “An actual we.”

Several people aww at them. After an awkward moment, Derek moves up to take some of the presents out of their hands. “Here, let me help with those and we can get you guys out of the doorway.”

“Sup Miguel,” says Danny and both Derek and Stiles burst into laughter.

“Oh thank god that’s settled,” mutters Jackson.

“What?” questions Stiles, taking a couple boxes from Danny.

“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to sit through a bunch of awkward eye-fucking,” returns Jackson, a little of the old douchebag shining through. “You two were really obvious about it back when all this started.”

“We weren’t obvious!” protest Stiles.

Laughter rings out from the rest of the pack and even Malia makes a completely inappropriate comment about the scent after she and Stiles broke up and then the rest of the pack moves to help grab bags and suitcases, with the exception of Lydia who still has her phone out recording them. Stiles gives her an odd look as Laura lifts the last couple boxes into her arms.

“Everyone’s hands are full,” calls out Danny, earning several puzzled looks, until he and Jackson move out of sight of the door, to reveal what no one had noticed in the excitement.

Stiles quickly realizes why Lydia wanted to get this moment on camera. Isaac--yes, in a scarf--and a very pregnant Cora walk through the door and smile awkwardly at the pack. “Surprise,” says Cora.

The reactions are immediate. Several people coo, Derek looks utterly flabbergasted, and then there’s a moment of silence before Laura drops the presents in her hands and lunges at Isaac. “You knocked up my baby sister!!! I’m going to kill you!!!” she screams and all hell breaks loose.

~

It ultimately takes Scott returning to the house and growling Laura into submission for things to finally settle down.

After that, everything gets pretty well worked out. Cora and Isaac share that they aren’t wanting to jump into getting married--and the only reason that doesn’t seem to freak Laura out more is its Cora emphasizing the not ready--but they felt a baby should be raised with pack, hence their desire to come home.

They’d apparently pulled up at the same time as Danny and Jackson, and decided that surprise might help tone down the shock of theirs.

They all sit at their assigned cookie station spots--couples double up in some so everyone can join in--and catch up on the rest of each other’s news and lives as they decorate. Scott and Derek dote on Cora, never letting her do more than pick up a cookie, until she snarls and threatens to eat their livers if they don’t back the fuck off.

Stiles laughs and tells stories about their neighbors with a little girl and the way the parents let Derek (and Scott when he comes to visit) spoil her rotten. Derek keeps claiming that he gets top spoiling priority with Cora and Isaac’s baby because this begins the next Hale generation, while Scott makes noises about it being his pack, and Boyd just rolls his eyes and points out that at least they’ll never lack for babysitters.

Stiles makes all his gingerbread men have big bushy eyebrows and Derek puts red shirts on all of his. The rest of the pack makes fun of them for it, not that they care. Stiles just kisses Derek and calls him the sweetest.

Afterwards, everyone except the bakers and Cora clean up the dishes. They finish up a few minutes before John and Melissa arrive with a massive amount of Chinese food for dinner. The rest of the night is spent playing games and getting the newcomers settled in.

~

Later, Derek and Stiles go back to Derek’s loft--he still owns it, though he’s started renovating some of the lower levels into future apartments for the pack and businesses--wanting a little privacy. Christmas Eve is only two days away and everyone plans to sleep over at the McCall house as one big pack and well, some things Stiles isn’t willing to have an audience for.

“Are you really happy about Cora?” asks Stiles as they’re lying in bed. He traces his fingers over Derek’s chest while his other arm keeps him propped up so he can actually see Derek’s face.

“Of course I am,” answers Derek. “I mean, my mom had Laura when she was almost the same age and she managed to still be a complete badass. I have no doubt that Cora will be exactly the same. Plus I’d rather Isaac be the father than have to be nice to some strange guy.”

Stiles grins. “True.”

Derek’s hands roam a little further south of Stiles’ waist as he leans up to kiss him. “How about we stop talking about the pack now?”

Stiles takes the kiss deeper, using his tongue to make it as dirty as possible, before grinning at Derek. “I’m totally okay with that plan,” he says and returns to groping his boyfriend, all thoughts of family and the future disappearing for a while.

~

In Stiles’ opinion, the first normal pack Christmas turns out perfectly. They gorge themselves on Erica’s tamales and Allison’s baking on Christmas Eve. Only a few of them are 21, but John makes his famous mulled wine anyway and lets everyone have a little. It doesn’t do much for the werewolves other than taste, and none of the humans overdo it.

There’s some last minute shopping for Danny and Jackson and Isaac gets quite a few groans when its revealed that he gave everyone scarves with little wolves on them, but all in all, the gift giving is a pleasant occasion. If you asked Stiles, he’d say its not about what he got, but that this year they all genuinely wanted to give each other good gifts, instead of being forced into it or not really getting along, and knowing his friends care makes all the difference.

They finish the evening with a new tradition proposed by Derek a few months ago. Everyone sips at their cider, wine, or cocoa and finds a seat in the living room. There’s no fire in the mantel, but the empty stockings have been returned to their hooks and the wrapping paper cleared up and though some have to sit on pillows, everyone finds a seat somewhere.

“So we each share a favorite memory from this last year,” explains Derek, “and then we tell a wish for the next one. The hope is that by sharing your wishes, all of your friends and family will help make it come true.”

“Aw, that’s really sweet,” says Allison from where she’s leaning against Scott, with Lydia curled up on their laps.

“I’ll go first,” offers Kira as she twirls Malia’s hair in her fingers. “My favorite memory is from this summer, when Malia and I went to the beach.” Malia smiles up at her, clearly sharing the fondness of the memory. “And my wish for this next year,” continues Kira, “is to bring everyone along, because I think a pack vacation would be really awesome.”

Jordan goes next. “I think one of my favorite memories was when Laura and Stiles decided to try and cook dinner for everyone.” The thought of that horrific disaster causes several people to laugh before he can continue. “My wish is for no more trolls. I’m tired of trying to explain away troll snot as some weird sap to the concerned citizens of Beacon Hills.”

The rest continue sharing, some sweet memories, some funny, some that are only nice now that there’s some distance between the pack and the actual event. Even the newest arrivals contribute, though they’re encouraged to share more of the story.

“What about you, Dad?” asks Stiles as he finishes sharing his wish. “You’re the last one to go.”

John is sitting at the puzzle table with Melissa, Cora, and Isaac. “I’d have to say my favorite is when Derek suggested this back when we were having our end of summer party. It was so clear how far you’ve all come in turning this pack into a family, and the idea that there are great memories to talk about now was incredibly touching.” He reaches into his jacket pocket and turns to Melissa. “And my wish for this next year is that you would become my wife,” he says, revealing a simple engagement ring in his hand.

The room erupts with cheers and shouts, the loudest being from Stiles and Scott with a “since when are you two dating?!” and “What did I miss?!” being yelled from each respectively.

“We’ve been dating for almost two years,” answers Melissa serenely, her attention primarily on John.

“But what about Valentine’s?!” protests Stiles.

“What about it?”

“We set you both up. You gave us crap about butting into your lives for weeks afterwards.”

John shrugs. “It was Valentine’s. We weren’t going to stop you two from paying for a nice dinner out.”

“You’re a horrible person,” says Stiles.

“He’s a Stilinski,” mutter several others in the room.

Scott still looks shocked. “But how didn’t I know? I live in Beacon Hills!”

Melissa laughs. “But you don’t live at home sweetie. And most of your free time you and Allison use to go see Lydia. Besides, it was nice for us to have our relationship separate from the expectations of our children. I mean, you two have been pushing the lets be real brothers argument for a while now.”

“Not that this isn’t fascinating,” interrupts John. “But maybe our children can be quiet long enough to let you answer.”

“I’d hope you know its a yes,” replies Melissa as she kisses him and puts the ring on her finger.

Everyone cheers again and Stiles nudges Derek. “I think I can guess what everyone’s favorite memory will be next year.”

“Or maybe they’ll be the inspiration to make a few amazing ones of our own,” says Derek and Stiles’ face lights up. “I like that idea even better. Merry Christmas, Derek.”

Derek wraps his arm around Stiles and tugs him in close. “Merry Christmas.”

  
  



End file.
